Exploring the Eastern Knockmealdowns with Kevin. A Great Start To The New Year

January 1st 2018
With a new year beginning and having set new resolutions to eat better, exercise more and give up my many indulgences, one thing I don't plan to do without is having outings with the force of nature that is Kevin Ring. It had been too long since our last jaunt so it was great to catch up with him today and have the chance to get a good workout and some great conversation. We decided to use the two cars and do a linear route on the Knockmealdowns. The last time I was on this range was with Kevin about three years ago when we went for a hill run and I welcomed the chance to explore the range a little more. With that in mind we left one car at the carpark at the Glentaunemon Gap and we drove to Glentaunatinagh Bridge on the east side of Knocknafallia. In the spirit of exploration we decided to cross the road and climb Knocknanask (486mtrs) first and do a mini loop on that side of the road before crossing back and climbing Knockmeal (560mtrs). Once again it was something of a shock to re-discover the speed Kevin glides up a hill and some adjustments had to be made but we settled into a good routine and found a middle ground. The ground underfoot isn't as soft as the Galtees hereabouts and the heather is cropped short so it was a pleasure to be on. The wind was chill and strong and squalls were in the offing but for now we were able to enjoy nice views across the hills and onto the Comeraghs and the grey sea. Once on the first top I decided to jog the next downhill section and it felt great.

Yes I made it over the gate..too much sugar

We made short work of the eastern section before we crossed the road and set off up Knockmeal. A metaled roadway led easily up the hillside until we had to leave it and set off up directly for the summit through steep ground and long heather. Thankfully this was a fairly short section and we were soon on the easier ground on top. The ground may have been easier but the wind certainly wasn't and we were being buffeted sideways as we crossed towards Knocknafallia (668mtrs). Once on top we took shelter in the summit cairn and Kevin enjoyed a late breakfast/early lunch before we ran the next section again to the slopes below Knocknagnauv. Up again and another run to the base of the long slog to the summit of Knockmealdown itself which at 794mtrs is the highest in the range. A vicious shower of hail put paid to any conversation and our heads were kept bowed in an effort to avoid the icy missiles. Thankfully the squall passed before the summit and easier progress was enjoyed. The wind which had been hitting us from our right thus far now came straight from the left and made running the next section very tricky for my knee so I opted to walk instead. Sugarloaf was our final top before the steep drop back to the waiting car. It was further away than I had remembered and as we headed towards it we reminisced about the last time we were here when we ran from near Araglin all the way to Knockmealdown and back again ( https://howlingmist.blogspot.ie/2012/08/the-knockmealdown-mountains-run.html ).

Surprisingly expansive

Happy new year

On the way to Sugarloaf I had to have lunch and it was a short jaunt to the summit after that. We made quick work of the track to the roadway and our car and we arrived four hours after we had started. Not as herculean an effort as the run in 2012 but at around 14 kilometres and over 1100mtrs of ascent it was a decent effort as well. It gave up plenty of time to go for a coffee so we drove back to collect the other one and we set off back to Lismore where more chat was washed down by coffees and sweeties. Here's hoping that we have many more outings both long and short in the future..A great start to 2018.

Curve Gully on Carrauntoohil. Winter Grade1 Climb

I went back to The Reeks this morning in the hope of getting a winter route done. There had been a lot more snow on the Kerry mountains over the past few days than on The Galtees so I was hopeful that something might have been in condition. As is so often the case the weather hadn't played ball and heavy overnight rain had stripped much of the snow cover away and the temps were well above freezing as I left the car. Nevertheless I took an axe and crampons but ultimately they weren't needed. As things looked so stripped I had resigned myself to going up O'Sheas Gully to the summit of Carrauntoohil and come down the Devils Ladder. I'm still struggling a little with a lingering flu and I was puffing away as I walked into the Hags Glen. It is of course possible that my overdose of sugar hasn't helped matters either but the new year will put paid to all those excesses. I climbed up into the first level of Coumeenoughter where I reached the first of the slushy snow and things stayed just as soft when I reached the second level. I toyed with the idea of climbing the bottom section of Curve which was still nicely banked out but I feared it would have been a desperate wallow so I climbed into the third level and decided to join the gully higher up.

Most of the snow gone but still very pretty

High in the gully and looking very good. I was tempted to put on the crampons here

Looking down

Final slopes..a bit steeper that it looks here..About 40 degrees on top

A party of four were up ahead and I was hoping that I would be able to enjoy using their steps in the soft snow and indeed I was until I reached the first rocky step before the gully narrows. Here the rocks were covered in snow-ice and the party decided to stop and put on crampons. The snow-ice was pretty soft and was taking a good step so I left the hardware in the bag and continued on up. Things weren't as bad as I had feared and while I had to wallow the odd time, I was able to make more pleasant progress for the most part. Once I reached the final 100mtrs or so of the gully things were actually quite nice and I was even tempted to put on crampons for the final semi-icy difficult step. I got over it easily enough though and enjoyed the final few metres to the summit. It had felt like a proper winter outing with occasional spindrift slides and rime ice still clinging onto the frozen ground. If there is a frost tonight then tomorrow the conditions would be very nice indeed. The summit remained clear of cloud throughout the day and it was nice to be able to enjoy wintry views as I ate my lunch. I returned to my car via the Heavenly Gates and even though I ached a bit and was tired it felt great to have had a proper winter climb. Hopefully there is much more to come this winter (either here of abroad 😊 ).

Clydagh Valley Horseshoe in The Galtees on Stephens Day

Grand day for it

It's official....I'm a pig. Turkey-ham-trifle-sweeties-biscuits-drink,,,oh dear, and that's just yesterday. I have been eating voraciously all sorts of rubbish of late and unfortunately it's showing. My normally "robust" physique is quickly turning to rotund therefore a day out on the hills was badly needed. With that in mind I got up pre-dawn and headed for the Galty Mountains and en-route I decided to do the Clydagh Valley Horseshoe. This offers a nice outing of around 13 kilometres and approx 1000mtrs of ascent.

It was a pleasant morning with clear skies and a light chill breeze and the temperature hovered at around the two degree mark as I drove down. I was delighted to see that a nice dusting of snow covered the hills above the 600mtr contour and I found myself really looking forward to getting out. I left the car at 09.40 and walked up the road as far as the stile that allowed access to the open mountain. I had decided to do the walk in a clockwise direction as this means that a nice easy descent from Slievecushnabinnea ends the outing, always a plus in my book. The flu/cold/chest infection is still clinging on a little and I was huffing and puffing a bit as I climbed up the shoulder of Cush but I was able to maintain a decent pace and I was soon enjoying the splendid views of the range that are to be had from this summit. I was now also in the first of the snow and the breeze had become a wind here so it definitely felt like proper winter. It was great. I descended to the col under Galtybeg and faced into the long slog to the summit. This climb really has little to recommend it except for the improving views that are to be had, especially over Lough Borhee and towards Greenane. As I got high on the slopes of Galtybeg there was some icy patches of snow around and if it had been a little colder then crampons might not have been a bad idea. As it was progress was straightforward and I was soon on the pleasingly narrow summit crest.

Climbing Galtybeg with the Knockmealdowns in the distance

Wisps of cloud appear on Galtymore

A wintry Galtymore summit

It was now clear that the bad weather that was forecast was soon to arrive so I pressed on towards Galtymore. Once down at the col there was again considerable evidence of icy stretches where the snow had melted and refroze and as I rose up the slopes above the cliffs over Lough Diheen some care was required. I was okay in my good mountain boots but a couple of people on the way down were finding the going a little tougher. As I got high on the slopes of Galtymore the first snow arrived but it wasn't too bad and visibility remained reasonable. I crossed a wintry Dawsons Table and dropped down to the broad boggy plateau above Lough Curra. Now the wind that had been coming from my left suddenly switched and was coming into me from the right. It is strange sometimes how the wind reacts to mountain terrain. I continued onto Slievecushnabinnea and descended easily the heathery slopes. Soon I was back in the forestry and hotfooting it back in the light rain to the car. I arrived back at 13.05 so it had taken not too much over three hours. A nice warming cup of coffee and a turkey sandwich (what else :) ) set me up for the drive home. More snow please...